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Judge Karen S. Parsons set to retire June 30

LINCOLN COUNTY >> The Honorable Karen S. Parsons is scheduled to retire June 30 as a judge in the 12th Judicial District that includes the counties of Lincoln and Otero. Six applications have been received in the Judicial Selection Office for the judicial vacancy.

Parsons is based in Carrizozo and the District Court Judicial Nominating Committee will meet today at 1 p.m. at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Carrizozo to evaluate the applicants for the position.

According to the committee, the meeting is open to the public and those wishing to make public comment are requested to be present at the opening of the meeting. The vacancy will be a general jurisdiction position covering criminal, civil and family cases in Lincoln County. The judge of the division must reside and maintain his or her principal office in Lincoln County.

Twelfth Judicial District Judge James W. Counts said anytime there is a vacancy it needs to be filled in a timely manner.

"Anytime there's a vacancy, if somebody retires or somebody God forbid dies in office and they're not retained in an election then there's a vacancy and it needs to be filled," Counts said. "A committee is put together of lawyers and a few citizens who are non-lawyers and they review the applications of the people who applied for the job."

He said the committee will interview the applicants today and then go into a closed session and vote for who will go forward.

"What will happen is they will interview the people who applied and then they'll go to a closed session where they will review the applications. They will vote on which of the applicants they want to forward to the governor," Counts said. "They could send all six, they could send one or as many as they think is qualified for the job."

He said Gov. Susana Martinez will have 30 days from today to select one of the names that have been sent to her by the committee.

"The governor has 30 days to select one of the names that have been sent to her by the committee or the governor has one other option, and that could be to send her more names," Counts said. "If that happens then the committee would have to reassemble. They could ask for more applications or they could look at the people they overlooked the first time. They could also say they sent everybody they think is appropriate for the job."

If the governor goes with the second option she will have an extra 30 days to appoint a new judge.

"The governor will have another 30 days to appoint someone new or if the governor refuses to appoint someone then the Supreme Court would have to make the appointment and they would have to choose from the names that the committee sent them," Counts said. "The committee doesn't make the actual appointment but they are the ones who give the names to the governor, the governor has to choose from the names that the committee sends."

The requirements for the position are the applicants must be a licensed attorney with six years experience, be at least 35 years of age and be a New Mexico resident.

All six applicants have impressive careers and knowledgeable expertise in the backgrounds of Personal Injury Law, Commercial Law, Domestic Relations Law, Juvenile Law and Criminal Law.

Otero County attorney Dan Bryant has the most experience practicing law for 37 years. Bryant will be stepping down as the county attorney sometime in September after 32 years. Attorney Duncan Lee Bradley follows Bryant with over 30 years experience as well.

Counts said he has known Parsons over the years and respects her decision for retiring.

"She hasn't discussed it with me but I think she's at the age where she's fully vested," Counts said. "With 17 or more years on the bench, I assume she wants to pursue other interests, that would be my assumption."

Inquiries about the details or assignment of the judicial vacancy should be directed to Karen Parsons, Chief Judge, at 648-2432 or Katina Watson, Court Executive Officer, 812-5080.